My Little Bird
by YuriChan220
Summary: Honoka and Kotori now live together after 3 years of dating. A heartwarming story between them as they live their everyday lives as a couple. Used to be a one-shot. Now a full on story.
1. Prologue

**My Little Bird**

 **Pairing: Honoka x Kotori**

 **Genre: Romance**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live or any of its characters.**

 **Author's Note: Hello, everyone! My name is Yuri! For this story, I'm deciding to write a Honoka x Kotori story. After reading Satsuki-san's story, "For Their Smiles", or read part of it, I just felt I had to write a Honoka x Kotori story just for the sake of it. I mean . . . the Kotori x Umi pairing really got to me while reading it. The drama was all . . . (sigh)**

 **Anyway, enjoy this little story, everyone.**

One Sunday afternoon, Kotori arrives at Honoka's house and knocks on her door. The door opens shortly after and out comes Honoka, wearing a pink summer dress.

"Hey, there, Kotori-chan!" she greets while giving her lover a kiss on the cheek.

"Good afternoon, Honoka-chan," Kotori greets back. "You ready to go?"

"I'm ready when you are!" She waves and says good-bye to her mother and sister as she closes the front door and the couple are off to buy some ice cream.

It's a hot summer day outside and Honoka felt like taking her lover out on a date for some ice cream. Kotori agreed to this and Honoka is even happier than ever. Of course, their other childhood friend, Umi couldn't come since she had a trip to go to with her club. Still, Honoka can always buy one to make it up to her. But for right now, the lovely couple are going to enjoy the summer weather and eat some ice cream.

Kotori links arms with her lover and rests her head on the ginger haired girl's shoulder. "It's a perfect day to go out on a date, Honoka-chan. I'm so glad we're doing this."

"Me, too," Honoka says as she kisses her lover on the forehead. "And hey, it looks like we're almost at the ice cream parlor."

Kotori looks up and smiles. "Cool! Let's go! Let's go!"

The ash-brown haired girl runs ahead while gently pulling Honoka along until they get to the ice cream shop. Immediately, Honoka orders 2 cups of ice cream and pays for them. Kotori giggles at the ginger haired girl's excitement and enthusiasm. Once she's done, the two head outside and sit down in one of the tables with two seats across from each other. Both of them dig in to their vanilla ice cream and close their eyes at the lovely taste.

"So good~!" Honoka says.

"I know right?" Kotori agrees while taking another bite. She then takes a scoop of it and offers it to her lover. "Honoka-chan. Say 'Ahh'~!"

Honoka giggles and eats the ice cream. "As for you, my dear Kotori-chan~!"

"Don't mind if I do." Kotori does the same. "Mm~! Tastes even better with a indirect kiss."

"Hehe~! Oh, Kotori-chan~!"

Eventually, the two finish off their ice cream in a few minutes and Honoka stands up to collect their cups.

"You in the mood for some more?" Honoka asks.

"Yes," Kotori replies. "Just a bit more will be fine."

"Alright. I'll be right back."

As Honoka enters the shop again, Kotori rests her head on her hand as she looks out into the streets. It's been a few monts since the two started dating. But before that, Umi was in love with Kotori as well. However, Honoka had the courage to confess to the ash brown haired girl right before Umi even had the chance. Kotori immediately accepted Honoka's feelings with a simple kiss, leaving Umi speechless and simply walked out of the scene, unaware to Honoka and Kotori. The next day, Honoka and Kotori revealed their relationship to Umi, in which the blue haired girl just simply offered her congratulations to both of them and wished them both luck.

Kotori is beginning to wonder how Umi was feeling right now, even if it was just a few months after the confession. Still, she felt that Umi was just hiding the fact that she's really depressed and is left out. Though, she didn't have the chance to talk with Umi for the past few weeks, Kotori knew that the blue haired girl is trying to get her mind off the couple.

Just then, Kotori notices a couple of guys sitting a few tables away from her. When were they here? Maybe she just didn't notice them while she and Honoka were enjoying their ice cream. She wanted to turn away, but to her surprise, they were looking at her and talking. This is not a good sign. She has to leave and unite with Honoka but the guys beat her to it.

"Hey, cutie!" One guy with a black shirt with a red hat on his head. "Why are you so alone here?"

"I-I'm waiting for someone," Kotori answers.

"Like who?" another guy with blonde hair says while blocking her way towards the entrance. "Seems like your boyfriend or whatever isn't coming anytime soon."

"P-please," Kotori stammers while shaking in fear. "Just let me go."

The guy in the red hat tips her chin and peers his head close to her. "Not gonna happen, babe. You're much too cute for that."

"Come with us," the blonde haired guy says. "There's lots that we can do together, hm?"

"I told you I'm waiting for someone," Kotori says, raising her soft voice. _This is insane!_ she thinks to herself. _Why are there two random guys harassing me like this!? I want to leave right now!_

The guy in the red hat wraps an arm around Kotori and pulls her close. "So, what do you say, cutie? Wanna hang out?"

"Yes! It's going to be tons of fun~!" the blonde haired guy agrees.

"Stop it!" Kotori squeals as she tries to push herself away from the tall one with the red hat. "Let me go, please!"

"HEY!" Honoka's voice shouts angrily from the entrance. "LEAVE MY KOTORI ALONE . . . RIGHT NOW!"

Kotori looks over at her girlfriend, who is standing with her two cups of ice cream and sets them aside while stomping over to the two guys.

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" Honoka says. "I said let her go!"

"Is she with you?" The guy in the red hat asks.

"Of course I am!" Honoka says. "I'm her girlfriend!"

"Puh!" The guy in the red hat scoffs. "Now we're dealing with lesbians? That's gross!"

"No it's not!" Kotori shouts, making the guys turn toward her. "I love Honoka-chan! And she loves me! There's clearly nothing wrong with us loving each other as a couple!"

"That's right!" Honoka agrees. "So, don't go talking about our relationship like trash, got it!?"

The guy in the red hat huffs and turns to walk away. "Whatever. Let's go. We don't need this." And just like that, the two guys leave without another word.

After a minute of silence, Kotori turns to the ginger haired girl while Honoka puts her hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright, Kotori?" she asks. "Did they hurt you?"

Tears well up in Kotori's eyes as she shakes her head.

"Hey, hey," Honoka pulls her lover into a soft embrace. "It's alright. They're gone now. I'm right here, okay?"

"Honoka-chan . . ." Kotori chokes a sob as she returns the hug.

"I'm sorry, Kotori-chan," Honoka whispers. "I'm sorry I left you alone like that."

"N-no, it's alright," the ash-brown haired girl sniffles. "I'm glad you came just in time to protect me."

Honoka nods as she pulls away and kisses her on the forehead. "And I'm glad you're safe, Kotori-chan. I promise to always protect you from now on."

"R-really?"

"Mm-hmm. I won't let anyone take you away from me. Because I love you. And that's all that matters."

Kotori smiles as she nods. "Thank you, Honoka-chan. I love you."

"I love you, too, my Little Bird."

With that, the two lean in and share a passionate, heartwarming kiss to fulfill their promise.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it. Honoka x Kotori are really a true pairing, at least in my opinion anyways. And I apologize if that scene with my two OCs sucked because I wanted to make the story a bit longer.**

 **And this is another dedication to Major Mike Powell III. I know I'm just throwing things at you, but you're my inspiration to write these Love Live stories in the first place. So, this is a "thank you" gift to you, Mikey-kun. :)**

 **Feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review! ;)**


	2. Chocolate Cake

**Chapter 2**

 **Chocolate Cake**

 ****3 Years Later****

"Honoka-chan!" a 19-year-old ash-brown haired girl calls as she finishes up one last dish. "Do you want to go somewhere after this?"

"Where to, Kotori-chan?" Honoka asks as she turns down the volume from the TV she's watching in the living room.

"I want . . . to buy some ingredients to bake chocolate cake," Kotori replies. "To celebrate our anniversary for becoming a couple."

Hearing this lifts the ginger-haired girl's spirits up and gets up from the couch. "Yes! Let's go! Let's go!"

The soft-spoken ash-brown haired girl giggles as she puts the dish in the dishwasher and turns it on. After putting her apron away, she immediately grabs her bag and heads for the door.

"You ready, Honoka-chan?" she asks.

"I'm ready when you are," Honoka replies as she rushes towards her girlfriend and winks.

Both of them leave the room as Honoka locks the door and Kotori links arms with her lover and exit the apartment with smiles on their faces. Since becoming a couple, Honoka and Kotori never left each other's side and worked hard on their studies throughout high school, mostly Kotori was the one helping Honoka with Umi watching over her. But despite all that, Honoka and Kotori found some opportunities to continue dating and then a few weeks before graduation, they promised each other that one day, they would live together in an apartment. Honoka was very determined to pass her final exams, for Kotori's sake. So, with Umi's help, she continued studying like she never studied before, which was unusual to Umi and Kotori, but Honoka didn't care. If she didn't pass, she might have to repeat her year, which she didn't want to happen. And at the day of exams, she finally passed which made everyone happy.

A few months after that, Kotori was able to afford an apartment and allowing Honoka to live with her since she's her girlfriend. Even their parents accepted their relationship, which made Honoka and Kotori really happy. Principle Minami even stated that they are the most adorable couple she had ever seen.

Kotori rests her head on Honoka's arm as they walk by the crowded streets, finding the supermarket they usually go to. Many people walked by them like it's none of their business while the couple happily walk together to the grocery store. Honoka looks up at the sky and smiles.

"Ah~! Such a beautiful day, isn't it?" Honoka asks.

"Mm-hmm!" Kotori replies as she rubs her head softly on her lover's arm. "Being with you is wonderful, too."

"Oh, we're almost there," Honoka says as she points to the supermarket ahead of them.

Kotori lifts her head and smiles. "Well then, let's go before the store gets super busy." She runs ahead of the ginger haired girl a little, making Honoka run after her, giggling.

The two enter the store and Kotori pulls out her list and looks around the store. "Hmm . . . now all we need is chocolate cake mix, icing mix, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and eggs. Oh! And some candles, too!"

"You got it!" Honoka says as she immediately pulls out a cart. "Let's go!"

Kotori giggles as she leads the way, finding every ingredient they could find off of the list. It wasn't really hard for them, though since they've been to this store many times and both of them make a good team. Kotori finds the items and Honoka pushes the cart. Sometimes, Honoka would find some items before Kotori does and picks them up.

In just about 15 minutes, the couple find everything they need and Kotori pays for their items. Shortly after, the couple carry the bag full of their ingredients and head back to the apartment with Kotori linking arms again.

"I wonder if Umi-chan can have some cake with us," Kotori says while resting her head on her lover's shoulder.

"Hmm . . . that might be a good idea," Honoka says. "But she's still teaching archery, so she might not be available until later that night."

"Then, we'll save her a piece and ask her to come over tonight," Kotori suggests. "After all, don't you want her to celebrate our anniversary with us?"

"You're right about that." Honoka turns to her lover and smiles. "Alright. I'll text her when we get home to see if she can come over and see."

Since Honoka and Kotori lived together, Umi was focused on her studies and got a teacher's degree on becoming an archery teacher at another school. She even bought her own apartment just a few blocks from that school. Kotori and Honoka were pretty disappointed that their childhood friend would pick a place kind of far from where they are, but Umi stated that it was her decision to make and that she would get in their way if she tried to live with them. Honoka and Kotori accepted their childhood friend's decision and continued living together as a lovely couple.

Once Honoka and Kotori arrive at their apartment, they set down their ingredients on the counter and Kotori starts to pre-heat the oven. Both of them tie their hair into a pony-tail and put on their aprons. Honoka gets out all the materials for them to cook with while Kotori starts to reading the instructions to her. Each time Kotori would read a step, Honoka would hand her the tools or ingredient needed for the cake.

"Oh, I can do the mixer," Honoka offers after they were done getting all the ingredients in the large bowl.

"Are you sure?" Kotori asks. "You're not very good with handling those things since last time in cooking class, you turned it up too high and the liquid splattered everywhere."

"No worries!" Honoka assured her. "I'm better than that now. All I need to do is watch where I turn the power. Simple as that."

Kotori raises an eyebrow, as if not convinced. Still, she hands her girlfriend the mixer.

"Here I go!" the ginger haired girl says as she turns the mixer on. She turns it onto medium power and carefully puts it in the ingredients.

Kotori backs away a few steps to prepare herself for the big explosion, but about a couple minutes later, she realizes that Honoka is keeping her word. The ginger haired girl really is trying to be careful with the mixer, which pleases Kotori very much.

"Is this alright?" Honoka asks as she turns it off.

Kotori walks over to the bowl and smiles. "Yup. That seems good enough. Now then, let's pour it into the cake pan."

"Right!"

Honoka carefully pours the liquid into the cake pan and puts it in the oven. Kotori sets the timer for 30 minutes and gathers all the dishes to put into the sink and wash. Honoka snatches out her smart phone to text Umi to see if she can come over. While Honoka watches her beloved wash all the dishes, in just a few minutes, Honoka gets a reply from her childhood friend that says,

 **"Sure. I'll be over in about a half-hour"**

This brightens Honoka and puts her phone to sleep as she rushes over to her girlfriend. "Kotori-chan! Umi-chan is coming over in 30 minutes!"

Kotori turns and smiles. "Excellent! That's perfect timing for the cake to be done!" Then, her smile quickly fades. "Oh, wait. We still need to put in the frosting and candles once the cake cools down, which will take about 40 minutes."

"Oh, darn! You're right!" Honoka face palms herself for even forgetting that little step. "Ah, well. I'm going to watch a little television while that cake bakes."

"Alright. That's fine with me," Kotori says as she continues to wash the dishes.

Honoka goes over to the living room and turns on the TV and flips through several channels until she finds one she's most satisfied with.

* * *

A half-hour passes as the oven bell rings, causing Kotori to stand up immediately from the couch Honoka was sitting on, or rather, sleeping on her lap, and turns it off. At the same time, there is a knock on the door.

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori calls. "Honoka-chan! There's the door. Umi-chan is probably there!"

Honoka rolls over, muttering, "Give me my tea, please!" Kotori giggles at the cute mutters a little before picking up her favorite teddy bear and chucks it at the ginger haired girl's face. This immediately wakes Honoka up, or she jumped at the impact Kotori gave her.

"Rise and shine, sweetie," Kotori says. "Can't keep Umi-chan waiting."

There were a few more knocks, this time a bit harder than earlier.

"Oh, my gosh! Umi-chan!" Honoka rushes over to the door and opens it. "Hey, there, Umi-cha- Oof!"

"That's for keeping me waiting for 5 minutes at the door," Umi says while setting down her purse.

"Mou~, Umi-chan!" Honoka groans. "You didn't have to do that! And it wasn't that long to be honest."

"Oh, yeah?" Umi says while putting a hand on her hip. "Then what were you doing?"

This catches Honoka by surprise and looks down at the floor, feeling guilty.

"You should really pay more attention," Umi says as she turns towards Kotori. "Hey, there, Kotori."

"Umi-chan!" Kotori greets as she happily gives her a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"You made it just in time because the cake is done," Honoka says.

"I can tell," Umi says as she sniffs the air. "It smelled really good the moment I entered your room."

"Kotori-chan and I baked it together," Honoka says.

"Oh?" Umi says as she eys Kotori. "Was there any messes while Honoka was handing some stuff . . . like the mixer?"

Kotori laughs nervously. "W-well, Honoka did handle the mixer, but actually, she handled it very well. No messes were made."

Umi turns to the ginger haired girl and pats her on the head. "Well, Honoka. I must say that I'm very impressed. Nice job."

"Thank you very much," Honoka says.

"So . . . shall we eat then?" Umi asks.

"No, because the cake has to cool down for at least 40 minutes and we have to put on the frosting and candles," Kotori replies.

"Well, what do we do while we wait?" Umi asks.

"I have a deck of cards," Honoka says. "We can play some card games while we wait."

"That's a good idea," Kotori says, clasping her hands together.

"Sounds good to me," Umi says.

"Great! Let's go to the living room and play!" Honoka leads the way and sets the deck on the rectangular table in front of the couch.

The three childhood friends get on their knees and enjoy playing "Go Fish" and "Old Maid". Before they knew it, time flew by and the timer for the cake cooling down goes off. Kotori stands up and turns to Honoka.

"Do you want to help me do the frosting, Honoka-chan?" she asks.

"Sure thing!" Honoka says while standing up as well. "Are you going to be okay, Umi-chan?"

"Yes," the blue haired girl says as she grabs the remote. "Do you mind if I watch a little television?"

"I don't mind at all," Kotori says. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks."

While Umi turns on the TV, Honoka and Kotori go over to the kitchen to get out the ingredients for the icing. They worked together mixing the ingredients and when Honoka is done with the mixer, Kotori grabs a butter knife and spreads the vanilla icing onto the chocolate cake. It took a few minutes to carefully spread it around without messing up. After spreading the icing around the whole cake, Kotori takes a step back and smiles as she turns to Honoka.

"Now all we need to do is write something on it," she says.

"Leave it to me!" Honoka says as she takes the icing bag and writes on the cake with orange and ash-brown icing, **"Happy Anniversary"**

"That's perfect!" Kotori says excitedly as she clasps her hands together again. "And very sweet, too!"

Honoka places 4 candles on the cake and smiles. "Mm-hmm. Hey, Kotori. You have any matches or anything?"

"Hmm . . ." Kotori rummages around the drawers. "I swear we bought a lighter. Where did we put it?" She then goes to the drawer next to the sink and pulls out the lighter. "Found it!" She lights up the four candles. "And done!"

The couple take a step back and smiles at their beautiful work.

"It's . . . lovely," Honoka says.

"Indeed,' Kotori says, softly as she turns toward the living room. "Umi-chan! Come look at our cake!"

Umi immediately stands up from the couch and comes to the kitchen to look at Honoka and Kotori's work.

"Oh, my!" Umi's eyes widen in surprise. "You two must have worked really hard to make this lovely cake."

"Indeed," Kotori says as she gets out the cake slicer. "So, let's all sit down and eat, shall we?"

"Oh, yes!" Honoka says as she gets three plates out and hands one of them to Kotori. She cuts one triangular piece, sets it on the plate and hands it to Umi. She cuts another one and hands the plate to Honoka and then cuts one for herself.

The three childhood friends then sit at the round table and dig into their cake. They take the first bite and close their eyes at the sweet taste, with the chocolate and icing spreading around their taste buds.

"So good~!" Honoka says.

"I agree!" Kotori says as she takes another bite.

"You're right," Umi says. "This is definitely one of the best cakes I've had. Thanks, Honoka and Kotori."

"No problem!" The couple say in unison.

They continue to eat the cake until they finish off their piece. Honoka stands up and goes over to the cake.

"How about we have one more piece? The cake is too good to have one little piece anyway," the ginger haired girl offers.

"Sounds good to me," Umi says as she stands up.

"Sure, I'm up for it," Kotori says as she stands up as well.

"Great! Let's do it!"

Honoka takes her turn in cutting the cake with the cake cutter and hands each piece to Umi and Kotori and then herself. The three sit down and enjoy their second piece of cake until they finish their pieces within a couple of minutes.

Umi sets down her fork and looks over at the couple, who is giggling while giving each other one last piece as an indirect kiss. Ever since she accepted their relationship, Umi was more focused on other things, like her college work and her job as an archery teacher. She really didn't mind them being a couple as long as they were happy with each other.

"Is something wrong, Umi-chan?" Kotori asks, looking at her friend in concern.

"No, it's nothing," Umi says as she smiles at the couple. "Happy Anniversary, you two."

"U-um, are you really okay with us being together?" Honoka asks, having a worried look on her face. "We were pretty worried about you after we told you about our relationship."

The blue haired girl continues to smile as she pats her ginger haired friend on the head. "Silly, of course I'm alright with it. You two are meant to be together. And I'm happy for both of you. Yes, I may not have a lover right now, but some day, I will. That's all that matters."

"Umi-chan . . ." Kotori says, softly.

"I'm still your best friend, after all," Umi continues. "So, as long as you two are happy, I am happy."

"B-but, Umi-chan," Kotori says while raising a fist on her chest. "Is this what you really want? Because look at the rest of us Muse. Hanayo-chan and Rin-chan hooked up, Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan are dating and even Maki-chan and Nico-chan are going out." Tears are starting appear in the designer's eyes. "I-I feel really guilty for us hooking up and having you all alone."

Umi just hugs her. "Kotori . . . it's alright. I _will_ find someone to love. I sweat it in my heart. So, you two don't have to worry so much about me."

Kotori sniffles as she returns the hug. "Umi-chan . . ."

Honoka hugs her childhood friend from the other side. "I . . . both of us understand, Umi-chan. We wish you luck on finding a lover."

The blue haired girl smiles at the ginger. "Thank you, Honoka. And I will continue to support your relationship with Kotori. You can guarantee it."

Umi and Kotori pull away as the blue haired girl walks over to the living room. "So . . . how about another game of "Old Maid", shall we?"

"Of course!" Kotori says.

"I'm in!" Honoka says as she runs ahead to the living room.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Kotori says giggling.

"You two are quite a handful for a couple," Umi says while sighing and follows the two to the living room and joins their game.

* * *

After about a couple hours, Umi picks up her bag and heads for the door. She waves good-bye to the couple as they wave back. As Umi leaves the room, Honoka shuts the door and smiles at her lover.

"Well then, shall we get ready for bed?" she asks.

"I think that's a great idea," Kotori says. "It's getting late anyway."

Both of them nod at each other as they go to the bedroom and take turns showering and getting dressed in their night gowns. Once that's done, the two snuggle next to each other in the huge bed and turn off the lamp. But none of them could get to sleep right away as they turn towards each other while intertwining their hands.

"Kotori-chan," Honoka whispers.

"Yes?"

"D-do you really think Umi-chan is really happy with us and is going to find a lover of her own? I wonder if she really meant it."

Kotori smiles sadly. "I honestly don't know, Honoka-chan. But if Umi-chan says she'll find a lover, I'm guessing she meant it. I mean . . . who knows who Umi-chan will hook up with."

"You're right," Honoka says, scooting a little closer to her lover. "We just need to support and have faith in Umi-chan."

Both of them look at each other lovingly as they smile.

"Anyways . . . Happy Anniversary, Honoka-chan," Kotori whispers.

"Happy Anniversary . . . my Little Bird," Honoka whispers back.

Both of them lean in and share a passionate, heartwarming kiss. A kiss that will last their relationship a lifetime.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, everyone! You weren't expecting this to be a full fledged story, did ya? Hehe! Well, something came to mind and I decided to continue this story. The chocolate cake idea came to mind right away because I had some, so I decided to write about it.**

 **And . . . for "Love Live" it's kind of unfair that most fans pair the characters up in twos, which kind of leaves one of them left out. That's why I go for threesome pairings so that everyone has someone to love. But . . . who knows? Maybe they like it better that way.**

 **Anyway, who should Umi be paired up with? Any ideas? I know you might be thinking Tsubasa, which is not a bad idea, but I'm feeling that A-Rise together is good enough. Maybe an OC or crossover character? Ah . . . if you have any ideas, feel free to give them out.**

 **Also, feel free to give out any questions or concerns and don't forget to review! ;)**


	3. Birds and Roses

**Chapter 3**

 **Birds and Roses**

The next day, it's is yet another beautiful, sunny day. Kotori is the first to wake up and stare at window where the sun is shining brightly upon them. Kotori looks over at her lover, who is sleeping soundly next to her. Smiling, the ash-brown haired girl gently strokes her girlfriend's hair.

"Honoka-chan," she whispers.

The ginger haired girl shuffles a bit. "Kotori-chan . . . mm~!"

Kotori giggles. "So cute~!" She pokes her cheek softly, which makes her lover open her eyes and slightly turn towards Kotori.

"Good morning, sleepy head~!" Kotori coos.

"Oh, good morning, Kotori-chan," Honoka says as she sits up and stretches out her arms. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good," Kotori replies. "And you?"

"I slept well, too." Honoka looks outside and smiles. "Wow! Another beautiful day outside! Do you have any ideas on what we can do to spend it?"

"Hmm . . . a walk in the park sounds nice," Kotori suggests. "We haven't done those in a while."

"I think that's a good idea," Honoka says. "Besides, it's the middle of summer anyway, so why not enjoy it?"

Kotori gives her a nod as she crawls out of bed and stretches out her arms. "Well then, why don't we make ourselves some breakfast and we'll be off."

"Okay!"

With that, the couple quickly get ready for the morning and eat a quick breakfast, which is simple bowls of cereal.

* * *

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori yells as she tries to catch up to her. "You're too fast!"

"Hehe~! I'm just too excited!" Honoka says as she looks back at her lover.

"Excited or not, you shouldn't be running so fast!" Kotori says with a small pout on her face.

Honoka stops for a moment and waits for Kotori to catch up. The ash-brown haired girl stops and puts her hands on her knees while panting.

"Mou, Honoka-chan!" she says.

"Hehe! Sorry!" Honoka says while rubbing the back of her head. "Anyways, we're almost to the park. Let's go."

A few minutes later, the two arrive at the park, where there are hundreds of people already there. Most of them were adults standing around, looking at the fountain in the middle of the park. Some of them have their children with them and watching over them as they talk to other adults. And there were a few elderly couples sitting on benches.

"Wow!" Kotori says as she looks around. "I didn't know it could be this crowded!"

"Maybe it's because it's a beautiful summer day and they want to find time to spend it," Honoka guesses. She takes her hand and smiles. "Come on, Kotori-chan. Let's explore the park."

Kotori nods and follows her lover around the huge park. For the first few minutes of walking, they just observe some adults and their children chasing each other around and glancing at a playground across from them. It is then that Kotori hears some chirping from her right and notices a bird fountain and her eyes widen in excitement.

"Aw! Those are cute birds!" Kotori says as she carefully walks over by them to make sure to not scare them off.

"Huh?" Honoka turns to see her lover gushing over the two tiny birds splashing around in the bird fountain and chirping happily.

"Hehe! Look at them, Honoka-chan!" Kotori says. "Aren't they adorable~?"

Honoka nods as she watches the two birds continue to splash around until they stop for some reason. Kotori tilts her head in confusion as she assumes that she must have been too loud. Just then, one of the birds flew right over to Kotori, chirping happily at her. The ash-brown haired girl giggles as she holds out her finger, letting the tiny bird land on it and chirp happily.

"Hehe! Nice to meet you, too!" Kotori greets.

"Hey!" Honoka says while walking up to her lover. "Are you actually talking to those birds?"

"W-well, it's not like I can understand them completely," Kotori reasons. "They just . . . took a liking of me, that's all."

Another bird from the fountain chirps as it flies toward Kotori, in which the ash-brown haired girl lets it land on her other finger. Honoka can feel a little jealousy growing inside her.

"Aw, come on!" she groans. "We were having a nice walk in the park and then you had to flirt with the birds!"

Kotori frowns at her. "This isn't flirting. It's being friendly with them."

"Ahh! Make it quick please!"

Kotori laughs as the birds chirp happily for a few more minutes before the designer lifts up her arms, signaling the tiny birds to fly again.

"See you soon!" Kotori says as she waves at them.

The birds chirp in response as they fly away. Honoka sighs in relief as she takes her lover's hand.

"I'm glad it's over," she says to herself and turns to Kotori. "Let's walk some more. Maybe there's some things that we haven't seen."

"Hmm . . . okay."

The couple continue their walk, seeing nothing eventful until Honoka spots something beautiful.

"Kotori-chan!" the ginger haired girl says. "Look at this flower bed!"

"Eh?" Kotori looks over and notices the beautiful flower bed in front of them a few feet from the huge fountain. "Oh, my goodness! Those are . . . pretty!"

"Mm-hmm!"

It is indeed pretty. In the flower bed were different types of flowers: roses, tulips, daisies and day lilies. Honoka and Kotori squat down to observe the beautiful flower bed and exchange happy looks.

"I have never seen a flower bed in this park before," Honoka says. "I wonder who planted these."

"I did," a familiar voice says, much like a Kansai accent.

The girls turn to notice Nozomi standing there with her own girlfriend, Eli, smiling.

"You planted these?" Honoka asks.

"Yes," Nozomi replies. "I love to garden, so I've been given the job to plant the whole flower bed. And to be honest, I think I did a pretty good job after planting them a couple weeks ago."

Eli smiles as she kisses her girlfriend on the cheek. "It's just for volunteering. We noticed some flyers hanging around the city, looking for someone to plant a flower bed at this park and Nozomi volunteered."

"Well, I must say, you really did a good job on it," Honoka compliments. "The flower bed is really pretty!"

"Thank you very much!" Nozomi says. "Say, do you want to pick one?"

"Eh!? Is that really okay?" Kotori asks. "I mean, it will ruin the beautiful bed."

"I have no problem if one flower is missing," Nozomi assures her. "I have extra seeds, so I can always plant another one." The violet haired girl walks over and puts her hand on Honoka's shoulder. "So, go ahead. Pick any flower you want."

The ginger haired girl looks at the fortune teller in a confused way. "Wait . . . where are you going at this?"

"Trust me," Nozomi says while smiling. "Just pick one."

Honoka looks over at the bed and looks around the bed to pick which type of flower. She then leans over to pick out a pink rose and shows it to Nozomi.

"How's this?" Honoka asks.

"That's a very good choice," Nozomi says as she gently pushes her towards Kotori. "The pink rose represents an eternal love for one another and it's a promise to be with that someone forever."

Kotori couldn't believe what she's hearing. "R-really?"

"You mean that?" Honoka asks.

Nozomi gives the couple a nod as she gestures her hand towards Kotori's head. "Now go on. Let the promise fulfill."

Honoka nods as she carefully puts the rose on Kotori's hair. The ash-brown haired girl raises her hand to touch the rose and smiles.

"Wow!" Kotori says. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

Eli puts her hand on her hip. "Nozomi can sure be clever at times. But that's what I love about her." She kisses her lover again, which makes the violet haired girl giggle.

"Thank you so much, Nozomi!" Honoka says.

"No need to thank me," Nozomi says. "I'm just helping Honoka-chan do something special for her precious lover."

"But still, we thank you for your support!" Kotori says.

Nozomi smiles at the couple. "Well, I hope you two still live a good, loving life. Because I know that both of you are meant to be." She links arms with Eli as she turns to leave. "Well then, Eli-chi and I have to go. It's nice meeting you two."

"Nice meeting you, too, Nozomi-chan, Eli-chan!" Honoka says as she waves. "I hope to see you two again!"

The senior couple wave back as they walk away. Kotori links arms with Honoka as both of them continue to watch them leave.

"We haven't seen Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan in a while," Honoka says. "Not since they graduated."

"Well, I heard that Eli-chan was taking care of her grandmother a little after she and Nozomi-chan hooked up," Kotori says.

"Oh, that's right," Honoka says. "Eli-chan called me one time and told me that her grandmother was very sick and had to go back to Russia along with Nozomi to take care of her. I thought she was still there until we saw them today. I wonder when they went back to Tokyo."

Kotori shrugs and looks at Honoka. "Whenever it was, I'm sure her grandmother is doing okay."

Honoka smiles as she turns and intertwines fingers with Kotori's. "I hope so, too."

The couple rub each other's noses softly before staring lovingly at each other.

"Kotori-chan, I love you," Honoka whispers.

"I love you, too, Honoka-chan," Kotori whispers back. "Thanks for taking me to the park. It was the best time I've ever had with you."

"You're very welcome," Honoka says.

Kotori pulls away for a bit and picks out another pink rose to put on Honoka's hair. "Here's my return gift to you, Honoka-chan."

"Thank you. That's very sweet of you." The ginger haired girl raises her hand to touch the rose and looks back at Kotori. "I think it's very sweet indeed."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, this idea came to mind from a couple stories. First the bird scene from Mikey-kun's "Animal Attraction" and Sonic2978's "Romance of Yuji and Shana" with the "Roses" chapter, but I decided to make things a bit different. It's just to help me write this chapter of course, so I hope it's worth it.**

 **Feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review! ;)**


	4. I'll Never Leave Your Side Ever

**Chapter 4**

 **I'm Never Leaving Your Side . . . Ever**

 **A/N: This is what happens when I watch some heart wrenching scenes of "Love Live". I couldn't help myself, but I wanted to get motivated somehow. Anyway, this may be pretty short and kind of early for the drama, but sad and heart warming as well. So, I hope you all enjoy.**

Honoka couldn't believe her eyes. She sees Kotori with another girl, holding hands, talking and laughing. However, that girl turned out to be her childhood friends . . . Umi. But why Umi? When she had said she will find a lover, Honoka didn't expect Umi to actually confess to Kotori. And Kotori is already dating Honoka, so why . . .

"Kotori-chan!" Honoka calls. "Why are you with Umi-chan? And you're holding hands with her as well."

Then, the expression Honoka did not expect from Kotori is a death glare, something that she rarely sees. Usually, Kotori is all smiles and cheerful like Honoka, but now she's glaring at her.

"Umi-chan is my girlfriend now," Kotori says. "She couldn't find someone to love so she came to me and confessed to me."

"But you love me, Kotori-chan!" Honoka says. "We've been dating for years now! Why would you want to date Umi-chan!?"

"Because the truth is . . . I never loved you from the beginning. When you confessed to me, I felt like accepting your feelings out of pity, but in reality, Umi-chan is the one I love the most." The ash-brown haired girl kisses Umi on the cheek, which makes her smile.

"K-Kotori-chan . . . h-h-how could you?" Honoka's knees were shaking uncontrollably.

"Didn't Kotori tell you before?" Umi says. "She's been cheating on you this whole time."

Honoka gasps as she drops down to her knees while heavy tears fall from her face and the couple walk away. Negative thoughts were running through her mind. Was it all a lie? Was Kotori lying all this time about loving her, kissing her and always loving to go on dates with her? Was it all just out of pity? As Kotori and Umi almost vanish from sight, Honoka buries her head in her hands and cries.

 ****Reality****

Kotori is sound asleep when she feels shaking from Honoka and opens her eyes to notice her lover crying in her sleep.

"K-Kotori-chan . . . why?" she whispers.

"Honoka-chan . . ." Kotori says as she can feel the pain she's feeling in her nightmare she's having. She knew right away that this is a bad dream she's having and it's about Kotori. But the designer has no idea what the dream was about except for hearing Honoka calling out her name.

"I love you, Kotori-chan!" Honoka says again. "Why did you have to cheat on me!?"

Just then, tears were also falling from Kotori's eyes from hearing some harsh words coming from the ginger haired girl's mouth.

"I would never cheat on you, Honoka-chan," Kotori whispers. "Never . . ." She knew she had to get Honoka out of this nightmare and tell her that everything is going to be alright. She softly shook her lover. "Honoka-chan. Honoka-chan, wake up." She shakes her one more time. "Wake up, Honoka-chan!"

The last call did the trick and the ginger haired girl is wide awake and jolts upward and turns to her lover.

"K-Kotori-chan . . ."

"It's the middle of the night," Kotori says, softly while giving a weak smile. "You were having a nightmare."

Honoka couldn't help but look down at the covers and give her a simple nod.

"Can you tell me what it was about?" Kotori asks as she gently wraps her arms around her girlfriend and kisses her on the forehead. "Honoka-chan?"

More and more tears fall from the ginger's face as she returns the hug and sobs her heart out. The dreadful nightmare had pained her more than she ever felt in her life. And she's even afraid of it becoming a reality, when she knew that it wouldn't in the first place when they started dating. Kotori gives her gentle strokes to calm the ginger haired girl until 5 minutes passed.

"I-it felt so real," Honoka begins. "Y-you were with Umi-chan when she found no one else to love. And . . . you kissed her and told me that you loved her all this time other than me." She gently squeezes her girlfriend a bit tighter. "You and Umi-chan looked very happy together and had n-nothing t-to do with me. I-I was so shocked and heartbroken that I . . ." Honoka starts to cry even more while gripping Kotori's night gown.

Honoka's explanation just brought Kotori to tears as well. "Honoka-chan . . . th-that's not true at all. I always loved you! I even told you so when you tried to confess to me!" She pulls away and looks at her while tears are still falling from her face. "Listen, Honoka-chan. I like Umi-chan, but not in that way. She will always be a best friend to me, as she is to you, too. But don't go saying things like me leaving you and being with someone else. Because I'm never leaving your side."

"Kotori-chan . . ." Honoka continues to stare at Kotori's watery eyes as she feels Kotori taking her hands in her own.

"We've been dating for 3 years now and I never even once found a girl to love over you," Kotori continues. "And you knew that as well, right?"

Honoka nods. "Yes. But that dream . . . felt so real."

"I know." Kotori says as she wraps her arms around her lover again. "But you have to remember . . . it's only a dream. I would never leave your side . . . ever."

Honoka returns the hug as she cries some more. "Please, Kotori-chan! Promise me that you won't leave me!"

"I promise," Kotori whispers as she softly kisses her on the lips and pulls away. "You're the one I love most, Honoka-chan. Not anyone else in the world."

"Kotori-chan . . ."

The two lean in and share a heartwarming kiss to fulfill their promise, along with the promise of having eternal love for each other the other day when Nozomi let Honoka pick the rose. As the two pull away, they stare lovingly at each other before lying back down and intertwine each other's hands.

"Are you feeling better?" Kotori asks.

"Yes. Thank you, Kotori-chan," Honoka says.

With that, the cute couple drift off to sleep with Honoka dreaming a good dream this time, thanks to Kotori's comfort.


	5. Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

**Chapter 5**

 **Once In A Lifetime Opportunity**

On one afternoon, Kotori and Honoka had left the apartment to take a nice walk together, but Kotori insisted on taking her sketch book with her since she might be a little bored some time while sitting on the benches. Honoka didn't mind at all and the two were off on a bright sunny day yet again. Honoka looks up at the blue sky and smiles while holding her lover's hand.

"Ah! Such a beautiful day again!" she says.

"Mm-hmm! An awesome day to take a walk again at the park," Kotori says as she holds up her sketchbook. "And to come up with new ideas for idol costumes for our junior idols at Otonokizaka Academy."

"Junior idols?" Honoka asks.

"Well, I heard about some students wanting to become school idols like us Muse, so I thought I might design some costumes for them and deliver them to the school."

Honoka nods. "Ah, I get it! Goodness, Muse is getting more and more popular as the years go by!"

"And we're still performing, though not as much as we used to when we were in high school," Kotori adds. "Still, people appreciate Muse and A-Rise at the same time."

Both of them continue their walk until they get to the park within 10 minutes. They look around to find a bench to sit on and Kotori opens her sketch book. She flips through some sketches that she had designed from high school and smiles. The first page is when she came up with the first idol costumes when they were performing "Start Dash!" The rest of the pages were other idol costumes she had designed, including the ones she did when they were against A-Rise. Honoka looks over at the sketch book and smiles at her girlfriend.

"You've really done a lot since we became idols, haven't you?" she says.

"I have," Kotori replies.

"And I loved how you actually designed them," Honoka continues. "You really put in a lot of effort into making these costumes, Kotori-chan."

Kotori blushes as she smiles and kisses Honoka on the cheek. "That's very sweet of you, Honoka-chan."

The two continue to look at the beautiful pictures Kotori drew until they hear a voice coming from behind them.

"Excuse me," a woman's voice says.

The couple turn to a young woman, who is about in her late 20's with shoulder length black hair and green eyes and wearing a purple dress.

"Oh, um . . . can we help you?" Kotori asks.

The young woman walks up to Kotori. "I couldn't help but notice some of those wonderful clothing inside that sketch book of yours. May I have a look?"

Kotori glances at her sketch book and then at the young woman. "Oh, um, s-sure." She hands the book to the black-haired woman. She turns some pages and her eyes widen in surprise.

"Very interesting designs you got there, miss," she says. She flips some more pages. "In all my years as a top fashion retailer, this is the most wonderful designs I've seen."

"Thank you very much," Kotori says, still feeling a bit uneasy about a stranger talking to her.

"Who are you?" Honoka asks while raising an eyebrow.

"My name is Hitomi Miyafuji, a fashion retailer," the black haired woman replies. "I used to live in Harajuku, but moved to Tokyo a few years back. I've been working as a fashion retailer since I was a teen."

"Really?" Kotori says.

"Yes," Hitomi says as she leans in closer to the ash-brown haired girl. "May I ask your name, miss?"

"U-um . . . Kotori Minami."

"Well, Minami-san, what would you say if I were to hire you to be my designer for our lovely ladies at my shop?" Hitomi says.

"What? Me?" Kotori is at a loss for words. This woman, Hitomi, is hiring Kotori to be her fashion designer? Even Honoka is speechless to hear the shocking, but exciting news.

The black haired woman pulls out her business card and hands it to her. "Call me any time when you decide. I was simply thrilled by your talent on designing clothes. So, see you soon." With that, she walks off.

Honoka and Kotori look over at the card, which has the words, **"Ginza Fashion Shop".** And it even has Hitomi's phone number. Kotori stares at the business card for a minute when Honoka speaks up.

"You should do it!" she says.

"Eh!?" Kotori jolts her head up and looks at her girlfriend.

"I mean, Miyafuji-san really appreciated your work, so you should really go for it!" Honoka says while putting her hand on her shoulder.

Kotori glances at the ground, which makes Honoka's smile fade quickly.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to do it?"

"Honoka-chan . . . the thing is . . . there's some downsides on becoming an actual fashion designer," Kotori says as she looks at her lover sadly. "And you know what that means, right?"

Honoka nods, understanding where Kotori is going. If she were to become a designer, she may not spend as much time with Honoka like they usually do and maybe Kotori will come home late every day. Plus that, she wouldn't even have time to practice or perform with the rest of Muse.

"But still, it all depends on what schedule Hitomi gives you," Honoka says, trying to stay positive. "Maybe she'll give you a day off or something."

Kotori still isn't convinced as she keeps her eyes on the ground. "I honestly . . . don't know if I should do it."

Honoka stares at her lover in concern. Kotori is so talented at designing clothing and Hitomi is so eager to hire her on the spot because of this talent and yet Kotori is indecisive? Honoka stands up from the bench and dials Umi's number.

"Wh-what are you doing, Honoka-chan?" Kotori asks.

"I'm going to ask Umi-chan's opinion and see if this job is suitable for you," Honoka says.

"Wh-wait a minute! You don't have to do that!" Kotori cries as she waves her arms around wildly. "I already told you I haven't decided yet!"

"Hey, Umi-chan," Honoka says over the phone. "Can you come over to our place for a bit? I want to ask you something."

Kotori drops to her knees, groaning. "Honoka-chaaaaaan . . ."

* * *

"Huh?" Umi says a few minutes after coming in to their apartment. "You're asking if Kotori should accept the job?"

"Yes! Yes!" Honoka says. "And Kotori is not sure if she should do it or not."

Umi looks over at her other childhood friend, who is smiling nervously while handing her the business card. Umi examines it and her eyes widen in shock.

"Whoa! Miyafuji-sama . . . you mean _thee_ Miyafuji-sama!?" Umi exclaims.

"You've heard of her?" Honoka asks.

"No, but I've heard rumors about her," Umi replies. "She's the top fashion retailer that used to live in Harajuku, but moved to Tokyo to open her business. She loves fashion designing and holds an actual fashion show just down the city, quite far from the shop. She hires several designers to create and design different kinds of clothing for women to wear and has about 50 women compete in the fashion show every year. Miyafuji-sama really cares for her workers and competitors alike, no matter if they are talented or not. I've even heard several girls talking about her while I was teaching archery."

Honoka and Kotori were amazed by this information and looks over at the business card again, staring at the picture of Hitomi. Honoka then looks at Kotori eagerly as she softly shakes her in excitement.

"So, what do you say?" she says. "Are you still willing?"

Kotori glances at the business card and her two childhood friends, who are smiling at her. And Kotori knew that those are smiles of encouragement. She already recognizes her talent and wants to put her talent into good use. And accepting this job would be worth it. Smiling, she goes over and hugs both Honoka and Umi.

"Thanks, you two," Kotori says. "You've really convinced me. I guess getting this job may change not only my life, but everyone else's. I mean, there may be other people who would like to see my special designs in the future."

"Exactly," Umi says. "We don't want to force you to do it, but it will be worth it if you do. Just think of how many people will appreciate your wonderful designs."

Honoka nods in agreement. "Yes, yes! People will definitely LOVE your work! We guarantee it!"

Kotori smiles as she stands up. "I'll be right back, you two."

As she walks into the bedroom while taking the business card with, Honoka turns to Umi excitedly.

"Is Kotori-chan going to do what I think she's going to do?" she says.

Umi nods while smiling. "Yes. It seems that Kotori has finally decided."

Inside the bedroom, Kotori is already on the phone, contacting Hitomi.

"Hello? Is this Hitomi Miyafuji-san?" she says. "Yes. I've decided . . . to take the job."

* * *

 **A/N: How do you guys like this one? I got a review asking about what should Kotori or Honoka be doing with their lives as a couple and this just popped into my head for some reason. And let me know if it's the right idea for Kotori accepting the job. I would've done a cliff hanger, but I couldn't put it into words.**

 **Oh! And my OC, Hitomi Miyafuji, she really is a nice person. I'm not kidding. There's nothing suspicious about her either, so I don't want any assumptions, okay?**

 **So, tell me what you think and give out any other suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review! ;)**


	6. First Day and Making Great Friends

**Chapter 6**

 **First Day and Making Great Friends**

"Is this it?" Kotori asks as she and Honoka arrive upon a huge red building that is about 5 stories high and has the words "Ginza Fashion Shop" written above the entrance doors in purple letters.

"I believe so," Honoka says while checking her smartphone. "Yup. From what Miyafuji-san told you, this must be the place."

Kotori stares at the building for a bit while clutching her sketchbook in her arms and glances at the ground. Honoka takes notice of her troubled expression.

"Hm? What's wrong, Kotori-chan?" she asks.

"I'm feeling really nervous," Kotori admits. "I mean, there might be so many women in there and some of them might not like me. Maybe it's better if I don't do this."

"Hey!" Honoka shouts as she grabs her lover's shoulders and looks at her with a serious expression. "You decided to do this job because you love to design clothes, right? And Umi-chan and I worked hard to convince you to take it. So, don't hold back now! This is your chance to show your talent to the world!"

Kotori nods in understanding as determination is written all over her face. "You're right! I mustn't back down this opportunity! Let's go!"

"Hehe! That's the spirit!" Honoka cheers with a fist pumped in the air.

With that, the couple enter the building and meet up with the receptionist nearby. Kotori approaches her and clears her throat.

"U-um, excuse me," she says, softly. "B-but I have an appointment with Miyafuji-san. Can you tell me where I can find her?"

The receptionist looks up and smiles at her. "Yes. She's on the second floor at the end of the hall. Why are you seeing her?"

"I'm applying for a job here," Kotori answers.

"Ah, I see," she says as she picks up the phone. "Give me one second to call her in."

"Thank you very much," Kotori says, bowing along with Honoka.

With that, the two take a seat in the waiting area and exchange smiles with each other. Both of them are so eager to see Hitomi again, plus take a glimpse of her shop. And see some wonderful clothing that the other women have done in the past. After about a few minutes of waiting, the receptionist hangs up and calls the girls.

"Miyafuji-san is ready to see you two now," she says.

"Thank you very much," Kotori and Honoka say in unison as both of them take the elevator and go up to the second floor.

From there, the couple walk in the long hallway until they reach an entrance with double doors. Kotori stops for a moment to take some deep breaths while Honoka puts a hand on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging look. The ash-brown haired girl nods and the two walk in. Once they entered, they are greeted with a huge space, filled with many young women who are designers and several who are sorting out clothes. Left and right, Honoka and Kotori could see every woman working hard at their designs and there are even photographers around the place. But why photographers? Honoka turns around to see some other women trying on the dresses to see if it fits them and are fit to be in the fashion show. Luckily, lots of dresses are accepted and are put safely in plastic wrapping on hangers and taken out of the shop.

"Ah, Minami-san, I presume!" Hitomi's voice happily says from in front of them.

The couple turn around to notice the black haired woman walking towards them with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Miyafuji-san," Kotori says, softly.

"I'm glad you could make it," Hitomi says as she turns to the ginger. "Oh, my! I believe I haven't gotten your name since I saw you earlier, too."

"My name is Honoka Kouskaka," the ginger haired girl replies as she bows. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Hitomi returns the bow and turns to the women who are working. "Ladies, I have a special announcement to make! We have a new recruit who will be one of our fantastic designers here at our shop. Her name is Kotori Minami-san."

One woman with brown hair gasps in surprise. "Y-you mean Kotori Minami, one of the members of the famous school idol group called 'Muse'!?"

"You've heard of me?" Kotori asks.

"Of course!" another woman with green hair says. "You and Kousaka-san have been very popular for the past 3 years and we can't believe that we have a member of Muse actually working for us!"

"Th-thank you very much." Kotori is bashful in a way, but never expected some of the women to actually recognize her as the member of the famous Muse.

"Minami-san," Hitomi says. "I am stunned! I had no idea you were once a famous school idol. What school did you go to?"

"Otonokizaka Academy," Kotori answers. "An all-girl's school."

"And I'm the leader of Muse," Honoka adds while gesturing her hand towards herself.

"Oh, my goodness!" Hitomi gasps. "What a marvelous pair coming to our shop like this! I am very honored to meet the members of Muse."

"And it is my honor to take this job," Kotori says, bowing.

"Well . . . maybe we'll need one more recruit," Hitomi says while rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Kotori asks.

Hitomi smiles as she turns to Honoka. "Kousaka-san, how would you like to be one of the woman who gets to try on the outfits for our fashion show and critique their work for us?"

The ginger haired girl gasps in excitement. "W-would you really do that!?"

"Of course," Hitomi replies. "After all, you and Minami-san get along really well. So, why not work together?"

Honoka couldn't hold her excitement anymore. "I would love to work here with Kotori-chan! Thank you so much! This is a thrill to work here!"

Hitomi giggles. "I'm so glad you are willing. So, come with me to fill out some applications and some other papers to fill in."

"O-of course!" Kotori says.

Hitomi leads the couple to her office, which is at the end of the shop. She opens both sliding doors, letting Honoka and Kotori inside. When Hitomi closes the doors, she walks over to her desk and immediately takes out the application papers and hands both of them to Honoka and Kotori.

"Please fill these out and bring them to me by tomorrow, so that you two can start working here first thing. We have a lot of work to do around here because our 50 women who are competing in our next fashion show in a couple of months are counting on us," Hitomi explains. "So, I want you two to give it your best."

"We will!" Honoka and Kotori say in unison. "We won't let you down!"

Hitomi smiles at them as she steps out of her desk. "Excellent. I know you two will do great. Do you want to take a tour of this building to get used to the environment?"

"Yes, we'd love to!" Honoka says, excitedly.

"It sounds like fun!" Kotori adds.

"Well then, I shall guide you both around the building, especially the top floor," Hitomi says. "I'll explain it more when we get there."

Honoka and Kotori nod as they follow Hitomi out of the office. The fashion retailer lets all the women know about taking Honoka and Kotori on a tour and tells them to keep on working while she's gone. The women nod in understanding and turn back to their work. The three go to the elevator to go on the third floor, which took about a minute.

"The lower level is just when our ladies are here to check out," Hitomi explains to the couple. "They tell my lovely receptionist, Iris, and then they're off to work. Or if they want to shop for clothing, they go to this floor." The elevator doors open and the three walk in the halls until they come across a huge shopping center, full of women's clothing.

"Wow~!" Honoka says.

"This is . . . amazing!" Kotori says while looking through the glass. "I never knew this floor would have this many beautiful clothing!"

Hitomi nods. "And that's from our fabulous designers. Well, most of them. Other clothing were delivered from trucks and our workers in the back sort out the clothing and have them ready to sell. So far, our selling has been a huge success."

"That's great to hear!" Honoka says. "It must mean that your business is a huge success, too!"

"Mm-hmm!" Hitomi says. "The fourth floor is also a clothing shop, so we won't go to that once since it's basically the same thing. But the point is that my shop isn't all about designing clothing. I basically opened this place because I want to share my wonderful designs to the world. Also, I want to follow my mother's footsteps to becoming a famous fashion retailer."

"Your mother's a fashion retailer?" Honoka asks.

"Yes. She used to be the top fashion retailer before me, but had retired before I became one when I was about 17. Since she knows my love for designing clothing, Mother allowed me to continue on with her career. And it has been a huge success since then."

"Wow!" Honoka says. "That's a wonderful story you told us!"

"Yes!" Kotori agrees. "And I'm glad that your business is still functioning! You must be the most successful fashion retailers on the planet!"

Hitomi giggles as she pets Kotori's head. "Silly, there are other fashion retailers out there other than me who are quite successful. I can't be the only top fashion retailer."

"I understand, Miyafuji-san," Kotori says.

"Now then, we should head to the top floor because this is a special floor for our wonderful women that are competing for the fashion show," Hitomi says as she leads them to the elevator again and presses the fifth floor button.

It took another minute before the doors open and the two walk in the long hallway again, making their way towards two black doors. Hitomi opens them and beckons the couple to come inside. When Honoka and Kotori step inside, they see a room as big as a gymnasium with a stage in the front, tall lights on each side, and some black flooring and black color on the walls. They also notice most of the women trying on the clothing and some photographers snapping pictures. Honoka and Kotori are stunned by this.

"This, my friends, is the practice room for our fashion show," Hitomi explains. "Our competitors usually come here to try on different outfits for the competition and fans get to vote for our top fashion model. Just to warn you though: it's often very competitive, so you might find some of the women a bit mean around here."

"O-okay," Kotori says as she looks around the room, seeing many woman try on different outfits.

Just then, the three hear Hitomi's phone go off. The black haired woman pulls out her smartphone and turns to Honoka and Kotori.

"Sorry, I have to take this," Hitomi says. "Feel free to look around if you want."

"Okay!" Honoka and Kotori say in unison.

As Hitomi walks off talking to that someone who's calling, Honoka and Kotori walk together, looking around at the different equipment and women around them. Kotori begins to feel nervous around those women since they all look so serious about winning this year's competition. She is so absorbed on the beautiful women that she forgets Honoka is even with her and suddenly bumps into someone.

"Oh, my gosh!" Kotori gasps as she looks down at a girl with long blond hair with a red ribbon on the back of her head. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," a soft-spoken voice says as the blonde girl turns around, holding her camera.

"I-I wasn't really looking where I was going," Kotori tries to explain. "So, I'm sorry if I made you mess up whatever picture you were taking."

"It's fine," another voice says, almost sounding soothing and angelic. "No harm done."

Kotori turns to another young woman with very long blue hair that goes down to her calves, is wearing a navy blue long dress and a yellow headband on her head. Kotori is at a loss for words at the beauty of this young, blue haired women.

"So . . . pretty . . ." Kotori swoons.

"Hey, earth to Kotori-chan!" Honoka calls as she waves her hand in front of her face, which failed. _What is she staring at?_ she thinks to herself as she looks up at the blue haired young woman with the navy blue dress. "Oh, my gosh! She's really . . . pretty!"

The blonde haired girl giggles. "Everyone says that. They even give her a ton of compliments and questions on her beauty as well. But some of the women who were competing get easily jealous of my girlfriend."

"Eh? You two are a couple?" Honoka asks.

"Yes," the blue haired woman answers. "My name is Chikane Himamiya."

"And I'm Himeko Kurusugawa," the blonde girl says while bowing. "It's a pleasure to meet you two."

"L-likewise!" Honoka and Kotori bow back to the couple.

"So, are you two a couple, too?" Himeko asks.

"Y-yes," Honoka replies while rubbing the back of her head. "We've been together for 3 years now."

"Well, same here," Chikane says as she wraps an arm around her lover. "It's sort of a long story, but both of us have been in love ever since we first met. We never had a chance to confess to each other until much later. It was then that both of us started dating and lived together in an apartment soon after. And then, a couple months later, I caught a glimpse of a flyer that they need new competitors for a fashion show by Miyafuji-san, so I decided to compete with Himeko's help."

"That's right," Hitomi's voice says as she walks towards the two couples. "Himemiya-san here is one of the top fashion models in our competition since last year. I was so glad she's competing again."

"Who is the other top competitor?" Kotori asks.

Hitomi's smile fades as she turns over to another women with long silver hair, tied into a pony-tail and wearing a green dress.

"Shizuma Hanazono-san," Hitomi says. "She's been admired by every girl from another school and when she graduated, she came upon my advertisement to compete in my fashion show last year. She and Himemiya-san had hit a draw, making them declared the two top fashion models. Trust me, she may be pretty, but her behavior can be really dangerous. So, keep watch for that, okay?"

"Alright," Honoka and Kotori say in unison.

"Anyway, so what do you think of this room?" Hitomi asks.

"I love it!" Kotori says. "It's really awesome that you have a practice room for the fashion show. Though, I got to wonder why anyone would want to do this in the first place."

"Think of it as a preparation for the real competition or so," Hitomi says. "Or something like trying out different clothing to see if fans would vote on it. I know it's kind of silly for me to do this, but it's better than having to do it at the last minute." She turns to Himeko and Chikane. "Kurusugawa-san, Himamiya-san, I hired these two girls as my designer and critic for the ladies at our shop."

"Oh, that's awesome!" Himeko says, clasping her hands together. "Who is the designer?"

"I am," Kotori says, raising her hand up.

"Ah, then you must be the girl that tries on the dresses and critiques their designs and stuff," Chikane says to Honoka.

"Yep!" Honoka says.

"Goodness, I'm so glad Miyafuji-san hired you two!" Himeko says. "I was so eager to meet new people!"

"Really?" Kotori says. "Me, too!"

"I'm glad, too," Chikane says.

"These girls also happen to be school idols from an idol group called Muse," Hitomi says.

Himeko gasps in surprise. "You two are school idols!?"

"Mm-hmm," Honoka answers. "We've been idols for 3 years now. We started our career as idols ever since we found out that our school was going to close due to lack of applicants. However, little by little our group formed into nine members, calling ourselves Muse. Actually, a friend of ours chose that name for us and so we started our careers as school idols to attract new students. And it was a success."

"Wow!" Himeko says. "What an amazing story!"

"You girls must be really famous after 3 years of being idols," Chikane says.

"We still are!" Honoka says, happily. "Some people recognized us when we had entered Miyafuji-san's shop. I was so excited to hear that they have heard of us even in this shop."

Chikane smiles. "I'm very glad to meet such amazing idols like you two girls. We didn't know you were idols until now. I must say that I'm very impressed."

"Yes!" Himeko agrees. "Perhaps we can meet the rest of the members someday!"

Kotori sadly shakes her head. "Sadly, some of our members went their separate ways. Maki-chan and Nico-chan travelled to Maki-chan's villa to live their life, and Hanayo-chan and Rin-chan are in Kyoto. But our other friends Umi-chan, Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan would love to meet you two."

"Gladly," Chikane says. "Be sure to let them know, okay?"

"Sure!" Honoka says.

Hitomi walks up to Honoka and Kotori and puts her hands on each of their shoulders. "Okay. I think it's time to leave now. I know you two have a lot to talk about, but some need to concentrate on trying out dresses."

"Oh, okay," Honoka says as she turns to the beautiful couple. "It's nice meeting you, Chikane-san and Himeko-san!"

"Same to you," Chikane says. "We should meet up for a double date sometime."

"Eh!? A double date!?" Honoka and Kotori say in unison as they exchange surprised looks. _That was a fast offer!_ they think to themselves.

"Sure," Himeko says as she links arms with her lover. "We want to get to know you two better since we've become good friends already."

Honoka nods excitedly. "Yes, yes! We should totally do that!"

"Well then . . ." Chikane quickly grabs a piece of paper and a pen from a small table and writes her number and Himeko's as well. "Here you go. Call us anytime."

"Gladly!" Honoka says as she gently takes the paper. "Thank you very much!"

"No problem," Chikane says.

"We'll see you later," Kotori says waving.

"Yes! You, too!" Himeko says as she waves back.

After bidding the beautiful couple good-bye, Honoka and Kotori follow Hitomi back down to the first floor and into the lobby. When they walk near the exit, Hitomi turns and smiles at them.

"So, this is how our fashion shop works overall," Hitomi says. "You should arrive here tomorrow at 8:00 AM to receive your first assignment after you hand me your applications. Understood?"

"Understood, Miyafuji-san," Honoka and Kotori say in unison.

"Good," the black haired woman says with a smile. "You two may go now. Get plenty of rest for tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay!" Honoka says. "Thank you so much for everything!"

"Yes, thank you!" Kotori adds while bowing.

"You're very welcome," Hitomi says.

After about a few minutes of silence, Honoka and Kotori bid farewell to Hitomi and head on home, hand in hand. The morning had gone by pretty fast and it's a little past lunch time. They could even hear their stomachs rumble, which made them blush red in embarrassment.

"Wanna get something to eat since we're out here?" Honoka asks.

"Sure," Kotori replies. "Where do you want to go?"

"Sushi!" Honoka quickly declares while putting a finger up in the air.

Kotori giggles. "Okay. I'm up for anything, so sushi might be nice for a change."

"Great! Let's go!" Honoka immediately starts sprinting while dragging her lover through the crowded streets.

* * *

On a late afternoon, while the sun is setting, Kotori is already serving up dinner when they hear the door knock, in which Honoka immediately stands up from the couch.

"Who's at the door?" Kotori asks as she serves up a chicken leg on the plate.

"It's Umi-chan!" Honoka says. "I invited her to come over to tell her how we did at the shop."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Kotori says. "Please let her in!"

Honoka opens the door and Umi steps inside while setting aside her shoes and puts down her bag.

"So, what's going on, you two?" Umi asks as she sits at the dinner table. "You wanted to tell me something?"

"Mm-hmm!" Honoka says as she and Kotori sit down as well after serving themselves the food and gives one plate to Umi. "We're going to tell you everything that happened when we went to that shop!"

"Ah, okay," Umi says. "Well, go on then."

So, while they ate, Honoka proceeds to tell her childhood friend how Hitomi took them on a tour of the building that has about 5 floors, how they met Chikane and Himeko and became friends with them and how Honoka's been hired to be critiquing and trying on different clothing. Umi is amazed on how much her two best friends went through today and is pretty impressed by it.

"I must say that you two must be very excited to work there tomorrow," Umi says.

"I know, right!?" Honoka says. "I'm even excited for Kotori-chan since she's going to be putting her talent into good use."

Kotori smiles nervously. "W-well, I'll do my best."

"Don't worry, Kotori," Umi says after eating some rice. "Some people may not like your designs, but I'm sure most people would. Besides, once they see how talented you are at clothing design, I'm sure they would love it."

"Thanks, Umi-chan," Kotori says.

With nothing else to say, the three best friends continue eating until they finish and for the rest of the night, after Honoka and Kotori fill out their application sheets, they sit in the living room, playing "Old Maid" with Umi winning the game finally. After about a couple hours, the three realize that it's about 9:30 at night and Umi knows it's time to leave. She bids the couple farewell and leaves the apartment. With that, Honok and Kotori get themselves ready for bed, which took about 20 minutes to shower and change into their nightgowns. Once they get into the huge bed together, Kotori turns off the lamp and the two snuggle next to each other. But neither of them aren't going to sleep just yet.

"Honoka-chan," Kotori whispers.

"Yes?" Honoka asks as she lifts her head up to her lover.

"I'm still a little nervous about tomorrow," Kotori says. "Are you sure people are going to appreciate my designs?"

Honoka sighs as she strokes her lover's hair. "What did we tell you earlier, Kotori-chan? I'm sure people would love your designs and hey, some may not like it. But that doesn't mean you have to give up right away. That's just their opinion, okay?"

Kotori smiles as she kisses Honoka's forehead. "You're right, Honoka-chan. I'm just a little worried, that's all."

"No need to worry as long as I'm with you, Kotori-chan. I can promise you that."

"Thank you. That means so much to me."

The two lean in and share a heartwarming kiss that lasts about a minute before pulling away.

"Good night, Honoka-chan."

"Good night, Kotori-chan."

And so, the cute couple soon drift off to sleep while being in each other's arms.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh, man! My fingers are aching from typing this chapter! Goodness, that took almost the whole day to do this! But I think it's worth it because I brought all of you some surprises during this chapter: crossover characters! And I must admit: I had to look online to actually look for yuri crossover characters since "Love Live" is an all female series, which I love. So, tell me what you think of Chikane, Himeko and Shizuma. Ah! Shizuma is not exactly an antagonist, but I'm only using her as a rude, overconfident and a woman who likes to flirt with other girls. Besides, Honoka and Kotori are the main characters here.**

 **Feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review! ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Strawberry Panic or Kannazuki no Miko.**


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